Answer first: utility enrollment and app selection are separate
When your electricity tariff changes, compare the plan actually enrolled with the utility against the plan saved in the Tesla app. Changing an app selection does not change the utility contract, and changing the utility plan does not automatically update the saved app plan. An old configuration can therefore remain after a legitimate tariff change. Establish both identities before treating unexpected Savings mode behavior or a value estimate as evidence of an equipment problem.
This guide addresses configuration inputs in a solar-and-Powerwall home using the current US Tesla documentation. It does not recommend a tariff, predict savings or decide eligibility for a utility program. If the question instead concerns measured production versus billed electricity, use our production and electric-bill comparison guide. Here the starting question is whether the app is working from the correct enrolled plan, not whether one displayed value should equal the entire bill.
Obtain the actual tariff before editing the saved one
Collect the utility account name, service address, enrolled plan identifier, effective date and the current official rate document. Confirm unclear enrollment directly with the utility using its established contact channel. A proposed tariff in a marketing email, an old bill and an available app dropdown are not interchangeable proof. Keep a pending switch separate from one the utility confirms is already effective. Redact account and payment details before sharing documents unnecessarily.
For a rate that requires a particular qualification, ask the utility whether this account meets it and when any change becomes effective. Do not assume that a rate appearing in the app is available to every household. Record the utility response and the document revision used. If the account has a special arrangement, an export agreement or a change still awaiting approval, give that information to the provider rather than selecting a nearby-looking plan and treating the approximation as verified.
Compare the identities and the schedule field by field
Save the existing app summary before making a permitted correction. Compare utility, plan name and relevant time periods with the actual tariff. Where the plan varies by weekday, weekend or season, check each applicable part instead of matching only the most familiar peak period. Record the start and end boundaries from the official document, including any uncertainty about a special day or effective-date transition. Resolve that uncertainty with the utility or Tesla before representing the configuration as accurate.
Keep buying and selling values distinct. The amount paid for imported electricity need not be the credit for exported energy. An account may also have bill elements that are not reproduced by the app calculation. Do not copy a neighbor’s values, invent a sell price or omit a season merely to obtain a preferred battery behavior. The useful deliverable is a traceable comparison between real tariff elements and supported app fields, including anything that the app cannot represent.
Review inputs without inventing missing tariff elements
Use a separate notes column in your own worksheet for the document, revision and answer still needed. A mismatch can be an enrollment question, a configuration question or a limitation of the calculation. These branches need different responses. Identifying the branch avoids sending an electrician to solve an unverified tariff input or asking a utility to diagnose battery hardware from an estimated value.
| Item | Reliable reference | Unresolved branch |
|---|---|---|
| Enrolled plan and effective date | Utility confirmation and current account documents | Proposed or pending switch is not active enrollment |
| Weekday and weekend periods | Actual tariff schedule | Do not copy a similar plan’s periods |
| Seasonal changes | Current dated rate document | Ask how an unsupported season is represented |
| Buy and sell values | Separate import and export terms | A retail buying price is not automatically the export credit |
| Tiered or other special elements | Utility description plus Tesla feature support | Do not flatten unsupported terms into a fabricated rate |
| Displayed value | The app’s calculation scope | An estimate is not a full bill or a savings guarantee |
Treat unsupported and restricted plans honestly
Tesla describes limitations for some rate structures and particular predefined plans. Do not assume that every field can be edited or that every utility arrangement can be represented by a custom plan. Ask which part of your actual tariff is supported by the installed app and system versions. If a feature is unavailable, preserve that limitation in the comparison rather than choosing another plan solely to remove an error message.
A custom configuration still needs authentic information from the utility. It is not a method for creating a more favorable electricity contract. Tesla cautions against manipulating rate inputs to force system behavior because that can produce unexpected operation and less accurate value estimates. If the real plan cannot be represented satisfactorily, ask support how the limitation affects mode operation and reporting. Do not claim that a visual estimate proves the utility has overcharged the account.
Keep the operating mode and installation limits in the review
Record the selected operating mode and the system identity alongside the rate summary. Tesla explains that Savings mode uses rate information in charging and discharging decisions. A tariff comparison made without noting the mode can leave the provider investigating a behavior that belongs to a different setting. Also preserve any known utility restrictions and installation limitations from the commissioning file; an app tariff edit does not authorize changes to interconnection controls.
Ask the provider what observation would meaningfully verify an approved correction. A single instantaneous power-flow screen is not a complete assessment of all periods and seasons. Keep a dated change log and compare subsequent observations with the applicable schedule, noting data gaps or other events. Do not deliberately cycle loads, disconnect the grid, defeat export controls or open equipment to demonstrate a preferred outcome. Electrical and system configuration work outside documented owner controls requires qualified service.
Illustrative scenario: a new tariff with an old app summary
Consider an owner whose utility confirms a tariff change effective this month, while the saved app summary still names the previous plan. This is an illustrative example with no invented prices or measured savings. The owner retains both summaries and confirms the actual enrollment date. The first task is to correct or resolve the saved-plan discrepancy through the supported process, not replace an inverter because the battery schedule looks unfamiliar.
Suppose the new tariff includes an element the app does not support. The owner records that limitation and asks how it affects reporting and mode behavior. The utility explains the contract; Tesla explains the app representation. Neither conversation is substituted for the other. If a separate fault warning is also present, it receives its own service assessment rather than being dismissed as a tariff issue or used to prove that the tariff change was unsuitable.
A practical handoff and closeout checklist
Provide the service address without public account details, utility and enrolled plan, effective date, tariff revision, existing and corrected app summaries, operating mode, app and equipment versions, and the field-by-field discrepancies. State which facts the utility confirmed and which questions remain for Tesla. Ask for the actual scope of any proposed remote review or visit, including who can make authorized changes and how completion will be documented.
At closeout, retain the provider’s response, the confirmed enrolled plan, supported configuration and unresolved calculation limits. An estimated value remains an estimate after a correction. Do not turn it into a guarantee of future savings, payback, export income or warranty coverage. Review the file again when the utility confirms another change or a provider identifies a relevant software change. The objective is an accurate, explainable input record, not a promise about every future bill.
Frequently asked questions
Does selecting a rate in the app enroll me with the utility? No. Does a utility switch automatically update my saved app plan? Tesla says it does not. Can I use a similar plan when mine is missing? Ask support about the actual unsupported elements rather than inventing inputs. Should buying and selling values always match? No; use the actual tariff. Does the displayed estimate equal my utility bill? Its scope can differ and it is not guaranteed. Can I fake prices to force battery behavior? Do not do that; use real tariff information and resolve the intended operating question separately.